Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most frequent injuries to the knee joint in the young. ACL reconstruction is a major orthopedic procedure most often performed in the younger adult population. Early stabilization of the knee joint by ACL reconstruction also decreases the risk of injury to other important structures.
The biggest challenge in ACL reconstruction is typically the exact placement of drilled bone tunnels. When poorly placed, bone tunnels significantly affect the outcome of surgery. Outcomes affected by poor tunnel placement include restricted range of motion, knee joint instability, reaction of the synovium in the knee, pain, impingement and potential graft failure with lesion development.
Precisely placed tunnels are difficult to achieve through current surgical methods. While ACL reconstruction is predominately performed arthroscopically, arthroscopy does not allow the surgeon to gain a complete 3D view of important anatomical structures, particularly in the anteroposterior direction. Large incisions are often required to provide surgeons adequate access to landmarks and/or drill angles. Further, as ACL reconstructions require a high learning curve to master, attainable only from high volumes and extensive experience, ACL reconstructions are most often performed by under experienced orthopedic surgeons. It is estimated that up to 20% of ACL grafts fail due to impingement or poor tunnel placement.
Thus, there exists a need for a more reliable method for a surgeon to precisely place bone tunnels for not just ACL reconstruction, but any ligament reconstruction or other orthopedic surgery minimally invasively. Inventions described in this application provide such a new and useful system and method.